On Tour

Our last production, L'Ascensore, involved a mock-up of an iron lift. We took it all over the place, Brighton, Leicester, Warwick and abroad to France, Belgium and Holland. That was actually quite easy because it could be broken down into small parts and put in a van. Clair de Luz is on a much bigger scale. The concept is that we've got a freestanding 1950s- style cinema, which we can erect in car-parks or any outdoor venue. The audience files in 75 at a time through a foyer, with popcorn and stuff like that, to see the show. We're playing with the idea that when people go to see films they expect to be entertained whereas they imagine theatre is there to instruct. The cinema has been specially built and will be transported by a large truck.

Basically I'm much more interested in doing festivals now because the small-scale touring circuit in this country is no longer a very interesting or rewarding one to play. Many art centres now function like libraries rather than galleries - they're places you go to to get the thing you know rather than to see something new. In a festival you feel part of an event rather than just this week's show. In other parts of Europe particularly you get treated like an adult making work for adults whereas in this country you can get treated like a student cowboy.

The ideal place for this show would be a railway arch in the middle of a city. The idea is that you would walk down a street that you've walked down many times before and suddenly there's this little cinema you've never noticed before, inviting you inside.

Pete Brooks is director of Insomniac Productions. 'Clair de Luz' will be at the ICA, SW1 as part of the London International Festival of Mime 13-15 Jan (071-930 3647)

(Photograph omitted)